Black-billed peppershrike

Black-billed peppershrike
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Vireonidae
Genus:	Cyclarhis
Species:	C. nigrirostris
Binomial name
Cyclarhis nigrirostris Lafresnaye, 1842

The black-billed peppershrike (Cyclarhis nigrirostris) is a species of bird in the family Vireonidae. It is found in the Andes of Colombia and northern Ecuador. It inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.

Black-billed peppershrike in Antioquia Department, Colombia

Description

Olive coloured overall with grey throat, belly, cheek and forecrown and a rufous stripe above the eye and lore. Differs from the more common Rufous-browed peppershrike by its black-tipped bill, thinner rufous superciliary stripe, and olive neck and cap.

Taxonomy

The black-billed peppershrike was described by Frédéric de Lafresnaye in 1842 as Cyclaris nigrirostris (sic) from a specimen collected in Bogotá. There are two recognised subspecies:

• Cyclaris nigrirostris nigrirostris Lafresnaye, 1842 – Colombia west of the East Andes as well as in Ecuador
• Cyclaris nigrirostric atrirostris Sclater, 1887 – West Andes of southern Colombia, further south into Pichincha Province, Ecuador

Distribution

The black-billed peppershrike is found in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.

Behaviour

Its diet consists entirely of arthropods which it searches for in the canopy and mid-levels of trees. Found alone or alongside its mate. Little is known about its nesting habits but they are assumed to be similar to the Rufous-browed peppershrike which has been observed nesting in trees seven feet from the ground, with nests constructed out of moss.